Alright, let me tell you about this weekend. My garage, man, it was a battlefield. Seriously. For years, it was the place where good intentions went to die. Tools? Somewhere in that pile. Half-finished projects? Yep, mocking me from under a tarp. My kid’s old bike? Holding up a stack of wood that I swore I’d use five years ago.
You couldn’t walk in there without tripping over something. It was bad. Like, “I’m pretty sure something is living in that corner” bad. The wife had started giving me that look, you know the one. The “are you EVER going to sort this out?” look. That was the final straw, really. Well, that and trying to find a simple 10mm socket. Spent an hour. An HOUR. Nearly lost my mind. That was it. Decision made. This place was getting the full treatment. Kleen. As it gets.
The Great Garage Eviction
So, Saturday morning, bright and early, I just started hauling stuff out. Everything. Onto the driveway. My neighbors must’ve thought I was having a yard sale or getting evicted myself. The sheer amount of junk was, frankly, embarrassing. I didn’t even have a proper plan at first, just “get it all out.”
Once it was all sitting there, baking in the sun, I knew I had to get serious. This wasn’t a quick tidy-up. This was war.
- The Keepers: Actual tools I use, stuff for current projects.
- The Questionables: This was the tough pile. “I might need this someday” is the devil on your shoulder, I swear. Had to be brutal. If I hadn’t touched it in two years, out it went.
- The Goners: Broken bits, ancient paint cans, things I couldn’t even identify. This pile got BIG. Satisfyingly big.
Scrub Down and Build Up
With the garage finally empty, it looked even worse. Cobwebs that looked like they’d been spun by giant, mutant spiders. A decade of dust. So, phase two: the actual cleaning. Swept, vacuumed with the shop vac (that thing earned its keep), even wiped down the grimy window. It was disgusting, but you could start to see the potential.
Then came the organizing part. This is where the magic happens, or at least, where you stop losing your mind looking for things.
I’d picked up some cheap shelving units and a bunch of clear plastic bins. Best decision ever. Clear bins, people. Game changer. You can actually see what’s inside! I grouped everything:
- Hand tools together.
- Power tools on their own shelves.
- Nails, screws, bolts – all sorted into smaller containers within bigger bins. My label maker got a real workout.
- Painting supplies in one spot.
- Gardening tools hung up on the wall. Got some pegboard too, that stuff is great.
It took hours. My back was aching. I was covered in grime. But slowly, piece by piece, order started to emerge from the chaos. It was like one of those time-lapse videos, but in agonizing real-time.
The “Ahhh” Moment
And then, it was done. I stood back, and let me tell you, it was a sight to behold. You could see the floor! Actual, clear floor space! Light was coming in. Everything had a home. It wasn’t just clean; it was functional. Organized. Dare I say, beautiful, in a workshop kind of way.
Found that 10mm socket, by the way. Took me about 15 seconds. Placed it right where it belonged.
The best part? The feeling. Not just the satisfaction of a job done, but the feeling that now I can actually use the space. No more excuses. I can find my tools, I have room to work. It’s like a brand new workshop.
Even the wife came out, took a look, and just nodded. Smiled, even. That, my friends, is when you know it’s truly kleen as it gets. Worth every aching muscle.
